Even before a team of the Central Bureau of Investigation started interrogating Rujira Narula Banerjee on Tuesday, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee visited the house of her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee. She stayed there for about 15 minutes and came out with her grand-niece, that is Rujira and Abhishek’s daughter before the CBI team arrived.
The CBI team which included two woman-sleuths, reached the residence of Banerjees after 11:00 AM and quizzed Rujira. The team of investigating agency left before 3:00 PM. Her sister, Menaka too was questioned a day earlier in the same multi-crore coal theft and money laundry case.
The kingpin, Anup Manjhi, is still at large ever since raids were carried out at 45 places in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar in the last week of November 2020.
Mamata, who used to pass through the road (on way to office everyday) in which her nephew’s house is located suddenly dropped there taking the media by surprise. It was a symbolic political gesture to show that the Trinamool Congress is not only united but is not at all going to be cowed down by any such CBI action.
Mamata’s move has certainly given a big boost to the rank and file of the party. In contrast the BJP camp in West Bengal is closely watching the whole development as some within the party fear that the central leadership is going overboard and misreading the whole situation. They are of the view that targeting Mamata and her immediate family members may backfire and many fence-sitters may go back to the Trinamool Congress side.
